CN117396097A

CN117396097A - Information processing method, information processing terminal, and information processing system

Info

Publication number: CN117396097A
Application number: CN202180098751.XA
Authority: CN
Inventors: 大泽广辅
Original assignee: Japan Tobacco Inc
Current assignee: Japan Tobacco Inc
Priority date: 2021-05-28
Filing date: 2021-05-28
Publication date: 2024-01-12
Also published as: US20240081428A1; TW202247091A; WO2022249443A1; JPWO2022249443A1; KR20240004698A; EP4349198A1

Abstract

The present invention provides an information processing method for providing usability for remotely performing flexible action setting for an attraction using a user terminal and causing attraction to not perform action setting unexpected by a user through erroneous operation by the user. The information processing method comprises the following steps: a step of receiving a first setting request related to operation setting of the suction device; a step of transmitting a first setting request directed to the attraction device to the server device; a step of transferring the display state related to the suction device to a reflection waiting state according to the transmission of the first setting request; a step of receiving a completion confirmation from the suction device via the server device, the completion confirmation indicating that the suction device has completed the operation setting; and a step of transferring the display state from the reflection waiting to the reflection completion according to the completion confirmation.

Description

Information processing method, information processing terminal, and information processing system

Technical Field

The present disclosure relates to an information processing method, an information processing terminal, and an information processing system.

Background

Suction devices for sucking fragrance by a user are well known. Such a suction device includes an aerosol generating device or a fragrance suction device. The aerosol generating device is an electronic device product for attracting generated aerosol. The aerosol generating device is not limited to this, and includes, for example, an electronic cigarette, a heating type cigarette, and a medical nebulizer. In addition, the aerosol generating device contains a so-called RRP (Reduced-Risk Products) product which may reduce the health Risk associated with smoking by the user.

Such a suction device also includes a device that communicates with a user terminal such as a smart phone to cooperate with the user terminal. For example, patent document 1 discloses a technique for transmitting data to an external device when an aerosol generating device detects a drop or impact thereof. Patent document 2 discloses a technique for causing a carburetor to communicate with a mobile communication device and operating the carburetor according to a parameter determined based on an input to the mobile communication device. Patent documents 3 and 4 disclose techniques in which a suction device and an external computing device communicate with each other, and the suction device is activated (for example, changed from a locked state to an unlocked state) by an operation of the external computing device performed by a user (the same applies to patent document 5). ).

Prior art literature

Patent literature

Patent document 1: international publication No. 2019/186468 booklet

Patent document 2: international publication No. 2019/104227 pamphlet

Patent document 3: japanese patent application laid-open No. 2018-522649

Patent document 4: japanese patent application laid-open No. 2018-507497

Patent document 5: japanese patent application laid-open No. 2008-509139

Disclosure of Invention

Problems to be solved by the invention

It is desirable to realize an information processing system capable of performing various data transmission and reception so as to enable flexible operation setting of the suction device from a remote place using the user terminal. On the other hand, the user requests to appropriately operate the application of the user terminal so that no unexpected action setting is performed in the attraction.

In particular, when the suction device is not at the hand of the user and the user cannot directly confirm the operation state of the suction device, the user needs to accurately grasp the state of the operation setting of the suction device by the application of the user terminal, and does not perform an erroneous operation on the user terminal. This situation becomes more remarkable when the communication between the attraction and the user terminal is asynchronous communication with a time lag. Further, since the suction device is often provided with various elements for heating, safety is also required to be considered when the user remotely sets the operation of the suction device.

It is therefore an object of the present disclosure to provide a mechanism that enables flexible operation setting of a suction apparatus from a remote place using a user terminal. Further, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide usability for preventing the attraction from making an action setting that is not desired by the user by an erroneous operation by the user.

Means for solving the problems

In order to solve the above-described problems, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an information processing method including: a step of receiving a first setting request related to operation setting of the suction device; a step of transmitting the first setting request directed to the attraction device to a server device; a step of transferring a display state related to the suction device to a reflection waiting state according to the transmission of the first setting request; a step of receiving, from the suction apparatus via the server apparatus, a completion confirmation indicating that the suction apparatus has completed the operation setting; and a step of waiting to transfer the display state from the reflection to the reflection completion according to the completion confirmation.

May further include: and a step of failing to accept a second setting request related to the operation setting of the suction device while the display state is the reflection waiting.

May further include: and a step of waiting to transition from the reflection to the reflection completion according to the display state, and accepting the second setting request.

In the wireless network to which the attraction is connected, a predetermined restriction may be associated with communication with the attraction, and the method may further include: and a step of receiving, from the server apparatus, restriction information determined by the server apparatus after the first setting request is transmitted to the server apparatus, the restriction information including a standby time until the predetermined restriction is released.

The operation setting of the suction device may be associated with at least one of the following functions: a heating operation arrangement in the suction device; the action of the suction device is locked; and notification of information entered by the user.

The operation setting may be associated with a plurality of functions of the suction device, and the display state may be associated with each of the plurality of functions.

The plurality of functions may include a first function and a second function, and the first setting request may be associated with the first function, and each display state of the first function and the second function related to the attraction means may be transferred to the reflection wait in response to the transmission of the first setting request.

Also, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an information processing terminal including: a receiving unit that receives a first setting request relating to operation setting of the suction device; a transmitting unit configured to transmit the first setting request directed to the suction device to a server device; a receiving unit that receives, from the suction device via the server device, a completion confirmation indicating that the suction device has completed the operation setting; and a state transition unit that transitions a display state associated with the suction device to a reflection wait in response to the transmission of the first setting request, and transitions the display state from the reflection wait to a reflection completion in response to a completion confirmation from the suction device.

The present invention may also include: the reception control unit cannot receive a second setting request concerning the operation setting of the suction device while the display state is the reflection waiting.

The reception control unit may be configured to: and waiting to transition from the reflection to the reflection completion according to the display state, and accepting the second setting request.

In the wireless network to which the suction device is connected, a predetermined restriction may be associated with communication with the suction device, and the wireless network may be configured to: after the transmitting unit transmits the first setting request to the server device, the receiving unit receives, from the server device, the restriction information determined by the server device, the restriction information including a standby time until the predetermined restriction is released.

Further, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an information processing system including an information processing terminal, a server device, and a suction device, the information processing terminal including: a receiving unit that receives a setting request for setting an operation of the suction device; and a first communication unit that transmits the setting request directed to the suction device to a server device, and that receives a completion confirmation from the suction device indicating that the suction device has completed the operation setting, the server device including: a second communication unit that transmits the setting request received from the information processing terminal to the suction device via the external server device, and transmits the completion confirmation received from the suction device via the external server device to the information processing terminal; and a communication management unit configured to manage transmission of the setting request by the second communication unit in accordance with a predetermined restriction defined in relation to communication between the external server device and the suction device, the suction device including: a third communication unit that transmits the completion confirmation for the setting request received from the server device via the external server device to the external server device; and a control unit configured to execute the operation setting in the suction device in response to the setting request.

The information processing terminal may further include a state transition unit that transitions a display state associated with the suction device to a reflection wait in response to the transmission of the setting request, and transitions the display state from the reflection wait to a reflection completion in response to the completion confirmation, the display state being displayed on the information processing terminal.

The communication management unit of the server device may be configured to: and determining whether or not the communication is restricted based on the reception of the setting request by the second communication unit, and when the communication is restricted, waiting for the transmission of the setting request to the suction device.

The communication management unit of the server device may be configured to determine restriction information based on the predetermined restriction, and the second communication unit of the server device may be configured to transmit the restriction information to the information processing terminal, the restriction information including a standby time until the restriction of the communication is released.

The standby time may be determined based on at least a history of past standby times of the user recorded in the server apparatus.

The prescribed restrictions in the communication may also include: only a predetermined number of transmissions of the setting request to the suction device are allowed within a predetermined period.

The prescribed restrictions in the communication may also include: the transmission of the setting request to the suction device is permitted only for a predetermined permission period at predetermined time intervals.

The third communication unit of the suction device may be configured to: and periodically transmitting a communication request to the external server device, and receiving the setting request as a response to the communication request.

The wireless network to which the attraction is connected may also follow the LPWA (Low Power Wide Area, low power wide area network) wireless communication standard.

Effects of the invention

As described above, according to the present disclosure, when the user terminal remotely sets the operation of the suction device, the user can be provided with the usability that the user does not perform an erroneous operation with respect to the operation.

Drawings

Fig. 1 is a schematic overall configuration diagram of an information processing system according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 2A is a schematic diagram of a structural example of the aerosol-generating device.

Fig. 2B is a schematic diagram of another configuration example of the aerosol-generating device.

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of an example of a hardware configuration of a user terminal.

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of an example of a hardware configuration of the server.

Fig. 5 is a schematic functional configuration diagram of an example of an information processing system according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 6 is a schematic process flow diagram of an example of the information processing system according to the present embodiment.

Fig. 7 is a detailed flowchart showing an example of a part of the processing steps in fig. 6.

Fig. 8A is a screen image of an example of a display on a user terminal.

Fig. 8B is a screen image of another example of the display of the user terminal.

Detailed Description

Hereinafter, an information processing method, an information processing terminal, and an information processing system according to embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same or similar elements are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and in the description of the embodiments, repeated descriptions of the same or similar elements may be omitted. The features shown in one embodiment are applicable to other embodiments as long as they do not contradict each other. Further, the drawings are schematic, and do not necessarily match actual dimensions, ratios, and the like. The drawings may include portions having different dimensional relationships and ratios.

Integral structural example

Fig. 1 is a schematic overall configuration diagram of an information processing system according to an embodiment. The system 1 of one example includes an aerosol generating device 100, a user terminal 200, a server 300, an external server 400, and networks 500, 600, and 700.

The aerosol generating device 100 is an example of a suction device, and is an electronic device product that generates aerosol sucked by a user or aerosol to which a fragrance is given. The aerosol-generating device 100 periodically transmits a communication request with an external apparatus.

The user terminal 200 is an example of an information processing terminal, and obtains various information from the outside to execute an application (application program) 205. The user terminal 200 transmits a setting request for setting the operation of the aerosol-generating device 100 to the aerosol-generating device 100.

The server 300 is an example of a server device, and the server 300 functions as a Web server and/or an application server with respect to the user terminal 200 and the aerosol-generating device 100. That is, the server 300 provides the application 205 to the user through the Web. The server 300 cooperates with the application 205 of the user terminal 200 and the aerosol generating device 100 to manage various data related to the user and the aerosol generating device 100. And, management of communication with the external server 400, etc. is performed. Further, the functions and processes of a part of the application 205 may also be performed by the server 300.

The external server 400 is an example of an external server device that intermediates data communication between the aerosol-generating device 100 and the server 300. Specifically, the external server 400 transfers a communication request from the aerosol-generating device 100 to the server 300, and transfers a setting request of the user terminal 200 from the server 300 to the aerosol-generating device 100 in response to the communication request.

The server 300 and the external server 400 may each be configured using a general-purpose computer such as a workstation and a personal computer. The server 300 and the external server 400 may be configured by a plurality of computers, or may be an aggregate of computers having various functions such as a gateway, a database, and a Web/server. Further, the server 300 and the external server 400 can be understood to those skilled in the art to be logically implemented by cloud computing.

The network 500 may be the internet, for example, by connecting the user terminal 200 and the server 300 via wireless.

The network 600 may be, for example, the internet through the wireless connection between the server 300 and the external server 400.

The network 700 may be a communication network (described later) that is a wireless communication standard conforming to the LPWA (Low Power Wide Area, low power wide area network) wireless communication standard or a wireless communication standard having the same communication restrictions, and is connected between the external server 400 and the aerosol generating device 100 by wireless.

The system 1 constitutes a so-called IoT (Internet of Things) system. For example, in the IoT system, the aerosol-generating device 100 may constitute an IoT device, the external server 400 may constitute an IoT server (and an IoT gateway), and the network 700 may constitute an IoT network. In addition, the server 300 may also constitute an application/server. In particular, the aerosol-generating device 100 performs communication from the user terminal 200 to the aerosol-generating device 100 in an unsynchronized manner by transmitting and receiving data in a communication system conforming to the LPWA wireless communication standard or a wireless communication standard having the same restrictions.

In addition to the one shown in fig. 1, the aerosol generating device 100 may also directly communicate data with the user terminal 200 through a short-range communication interface such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy: bluetooth low energy). The data communication between the aerosol-generating device 100 and the user terminal 200 may be performed by combining the direct communication with the direct communication via the internet via the various servers 300 and 400.

The following describes the hardware configuration of each of the aerosol generating device 100, the user terminal 200, the server 300, and the external server 400 included in the system 1.

<1-1. Suction device >

Fig. 2A and 2B are schematic diagrams of structural examples of the aerosol-generating device 100 as an example of the suction device. The aerosol generating device 100 may be a heating type flavor inhaler, or may include various types of suction devices that generate aerosol that is attracted to a user or aerosol to which flavor is imparted. The generated attractive component may contain a gas such as invisible vapor in addition to the aerosol.

(1) First structural example

Fig. 2A is a schematic diagram schematically showing a first configuration example of the aerosol-generating device 100. As shown in fig. 2A, the aerosol-generating device 100A according to this configuration example includes a power supply unit 110, a cartridge 120, and a fragrance imparting cartridge 130.

The power supply unit 110 includes a power supply section 111A, a sensor section 112A, a notification section 113A, a storage section 114A, a communication section 115A, and a control section 116A. The cartridge 120 includes a heating portion 121A, a liquid guiding portion 122, and a liquid storing portion 123. The flavour imparting cartridge 130 comprises a flavour source 131 and a mouthpiece (mouthpiece) 124. An air flow path 180 is formed in the cartridge 120 and the flavor imparting cartridge 130.

The power supply unit 111A stores electric power. The power supply unit 111A supplies electric power to each component of the aerosol-generating device 100A based on the control of the control unit 116A. The power supply unit 111A is constituted by a rechargeable battery such as a lithium ion secondary battery, for example.

The sensor unit 112A acquires various information about the aerosol-generating device 100A. The sensor unit 112A may include a pressure sensor such as a microphone capacitor, a flow sensor, a temperature sensor, or the like, and may acquire a value associated with the user's suction. The sensor unit 112A may include an input device for receiving information input from a user through a button or a switch.

The notification unit 113A notifies the user of information. The notification unit 113A may include, for example, a light emitting device that emits light, a display device that displays images and/or texts, a sound output device that outputs sound, a vibrating device that vibrates, or the like.

The storage unit 114A stores various information for the operation of the aerosol-generating device 100A. The storage unit 114A is constituted by a nonvolatile storage medium such as a flash memory, for example. The storage section 114A may also include a volatile memory that provides a work area for the control section 116A.

As described above, the communication unit 115A includes a communication interface (including a communication module) conforming to a wireless communication standard having a similar LPWA wireless communication standard or the same communication restriction. The communication unit 115 may be a communication interface capable of performing communication according to any other wired or wireless communication standard. For example, wi-Fi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) may be used.

The control unit 116A functions as an arithmetic processing device and a control device, and controls all operations in the aerosol generating device 100A according to various programs. The control unit 116 is implemented by an electronic circuit of a CPU (Central Processing Unit ) or a microprocessor, for example.

The liquid storage 123 stores an aerosol source. Is atomized by an aerosol source to produce an aerosol. The aerosol source is, for example, a polyol such as glycerin and propylene glycol, or a liquid such as water. The aerosol source may also contain flavor components from tobacco or from non-tobacco. In the case where the aerosol-generating device 100A is a medical inhaler such as a nebulizer, the aerosol source may contain a drug.

The liquid guide 122 guides and holds the aerosol source, which is the liquid stored in the liquid storage 123, from the liquid storage 123. The liquid guide 122 is, for example, a core formed by twisting a fiber material such as glass fiber or a porous material such as porous ceramic. In this case, the aerosol source stored in the liquid storage portion 123 is guided by the capillary effect of the wick.

The heating unit 121A generates an aerosol by heating the aerosol source to atomize the aerosol source. In the example shown in fig. 2A, the heating portion 121A is configured as a coil, and is wound around the liquid guide portion 122. When the heating unit 121A generates heat, the aerosol source held in the liquid guide unit 122 is heated and atomized, and an aerosol is generated. The heating unit 121A generates heat when power is supplied from the power supply unit 111A. As an example, when the sensor unit 112A detects that the user starts to attract and one or both of predetermined information is input, power supply may be performed. When the sensor unit 112A detects that the user has completed the suction and one or both of predetermined information is input, the power supply may be stopped.

The flavor source 131 is a component for imparting a flavor component to the aerosol. The flavor source 131 may also contain flavor components from tobacco or from non-tobacco.

The air flow path 180 is a flow path of air sucked by a user. The air flow path 180 has a tubular structure with an air inflow hole 181 and an air outflow hole 182 at both ends, the air inflow hole 181 being an inlet of air into the air flow path 180, and the air outflow hole 182 being an outlet of air from the air flow path 180. The liquid guide 122 is disposed on the upstream side (side close to the air inflow hole 181) and the fragrance source 131 is disposed on the downstream side (side close to the air outflow hole 182) in the middle of the air flow path 180. The air flowing in from the air inflow hole 181 with the suction of the user is mixed with the aerosol generated by the heating portion 121A, and is delivered to the air outflow hole 182 through the fragrance source 131 as indicated by an arrow 190. When a mixed fluid of aerosol and air passes through the flavor source 131, the flavor component contained in the flavor source 131 is imparted to the aerosol.

A mouthpiece (mouthpiece) 124 is a member that is gripped by the user at the time of suction. An air outflow hole 182 is provided in the mouthpiece 124. The user can take the mixed fluid of aerosol and air into the inlet chamber by gripping and sucking the nozzle 124.

The configuration example of the aerosol-generating device 100A is described above. Of course, the configuration of the aerosol-generating device 100A is not limited to the above, and various configurations can be adopted as exemplified below.

For example, the aerosol generating device 100A may not include the flavor imparting cartridge 130. In this case, a mouthpiece 124 is provided in the case 120.

As another example, the aerosol-generating device 100A may include a plurality of aerosol sources. Other types of aerosols may also be generated by mixing multiple aerosols generated from multiple aerosol sources within the gas flow path 180 to cause a chemical reaction.

The means for atomizing the aerosol source is not limited to the heating of the heating unit 121A. For example, the unit for atomizing the aerosol source may also be vibratory atomization or induction heating.

(2) Second construction example

Fig. 2B is a schematic diagram schematically showing a second structural example of the aerosol-generating device 100. As shown in fig. 2B, the aerosol-generating device 100B according to the present configuration example includes a power supply unit 111B, a sensor unit 112B, a notification unit 113B, a storage unit 114B, a communication unit 115B, a control unit 116B, a heating unit 121B, a holding unit 140, and a heat insulation unit 144.

The power supply unit 111B, the sensor unit 112B, the notification unit 113B, the storage unit 114B, the communication unit 115B, and the control unit 116B are substantially the same as the corresponding components included in the aerosol-generating device 100A according to the first configuration example. In particular, as described above, the communication unit 115B includes a communication interface (including a communication module) conforming to a wireless communication standard similar to the LPWA wireless communication standard or a wireless communication standard having a communication limitation.

The holding portion 140 has an internal space 141, and the internal space 141 accommodates a part of the rod-shaped base material 150 and holds the rod-shaped base material 150. The rod-shaped base material 150 is also an example of a "replacement". The holding portion 140 has an opening 142 for communicating the internal space 141 with the outside, and holds the rod-shaped base material 150 inserted into the internal space 141 from the opening 142. For example, the holding portion 140 is a cylindrical body having the opening 142 and the bottom 143 as bottom surfaces, and defines a columnar internal space 141. The holding portion 140 also has a function of defining a flow path of air supplied to the rod-shaped base material 150. An air inlet hole as an inlet of air to the flow path is disposed, for example, in the bottom 143. On the other hand, the air outflow hole as an outlet of the air from the flow path is an opening 142.

The rod-shaped base 150 includes a base portion 151 and a suction portion 152. The substrate portion 151 contains an aerosol source. In this configuration example, the aerosol source is not limited to a liquid, and may be a solid. In a state where the rod-shaped base material 150 is held by the holding portion 140, at least a part of the base material portion 151 is accommodated in the internal space 141, and at least a part of the suction portion 152 protrudes from the opening 142. When the user holds and sucks the suction portion 152 protruding from the opening 142, air flows into the internal space 141 from an air inflow hole, not shown, and reaches the inside of the user's mouth together with the aerosol generated from the base material portion 151.

The heating unit 121B has the same configuration as the heating unit 121A according to the first configuration example. However, in the example shown in fig. 2B, the heating portion 121B is formed in a film shape and is disposed so as to cover the outer periphery of the holding portion 140. Then, when the heating portion 121B generates heat, the substrate portion 151 of the rod-shaped substrate 150 is heated from the outer periphery, and aerosol is generated.

The heat insulating portion 144 prevents heat transfer from the heating portion 121B to other components. For example, the heat insulating portion 144 is made of a vacuum heat insulating material, an aerogel heat insulating material, or the like.

The configuration example of the aerosol-generating device 100B is described above. Of course, the configuration of the aerosol-generating device 100B is not limited to the above, and various configurations can be adopted as exemplified below.

As an example, the heating portion 121B may be formed in a blade shape and arranged to protrude from the bottom 143 of the holding portion 140 toward the internal space 141. In this case, the blade-shaped heating portion 121B is inserted into the base material portion 151 of the rod-shaped base material 150, and the base material portion 151 of the rod-shaped base material 150 is heated from the inside. As another example, the heating portion 121B may be disposed so as to cover the bottom portion 143 of the holding portion 140. The heating portion 121B may be a combination of two or more of a first heating portion covering the outer periphery of the holding portion 140, a second heating portion in the form of a blade, and a third heating portion covering the bottom portion 143 of the holding portion 140.

As another example, the holding portion 140 may include an opening and closing mechanism such as a hinge that opens and closes a part of the housing that forms the internal space 141. The holding portion 140 may hold the rod-shaped base material 150 inserted into the internal space 141 by opening and closing the housing. In this case, the heating unit 121B may be provided at the nip portion of the holding unit 140, and may perform heating while pressing the rod-shaped base material 150.

The means for atomizing the aerosol source is not limited to heating by the heating unit 121B. For example, the unit for atomizing the aerosol source may also be induction heating.

The aerosol-generating device 100B may further include the heating unit 121A, the liquid guide unit 122, the liquid storage unit 123, and the air flow path 180 according to the first configuration example, and the air outflow hole 182 of the air flow path 180 may also serve as an air inflow hole into the internal space 141. In this case, the mixed fluid of the aerosol generated by the heating unit 121A and the air flows into the internal space 141, and is further mixed with the aerosol generated by the heating unit 121B, and reaches the oral cavity of the user.

<1-2. Information processing terminal >

Fig. 3 is a schematic diagram of an example of a hardware configuration of a user terminal 200 as an example of an information processing terminal. The user terminal 200 may be used as an electronic device such as a smart phone, a tablet terminal, a portable computer, or a personal computer. Further, the example of the user terminal 200 shown in fig. 3 is assumed to be a smart phone.

The user terminal 200 includes a processor 21, a memory 22, a storage 23, a touch panel 24, a communication interface 27, and an imaging unit 28. These elements are electrically connected to each other via a bus 29.

The processor 21 is an arithmetic processing device that controls information processing, performs control of transmission and reception of data between elements, and performs an information processing method of one embodiment. For example, the processor 21 is a CPU, executes a program or the like such as the application 205 stored in the memory 23 and developed in the memory 22, and executes the information processing method according to the embodiment. The processor 21 of the user terminal 200 may include a GPU (Graphical Processing Unit, graphics processing unit) or the like in addition to the CPU.

The memory 22 includes: a main storage realized by a volatile storage device such as DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) and an auxiliary storage realized by a nonvolatile storage device such as flash memory and HDD (Hard disk Drive). The memory 22 is used as a work area or the like of the processor 21, and stores a BIOS (Basic Input/Output System) executed when an OS (operating System) is started, various setting information, and the like.

The memory 23 stores programs and an OS for information processing by the processor 21. In addition, a database storing various data used for executing the program may be constructed in the storage 23.

The touch panel 24 constitutes an input-output interface. The touch panel 24 constitutes a touch input section 25 and a display section 26. The touch input unit 25 receives a touch operation of the touch panel 24 by a user. The display unit 26 is implemented by a liquid crystal display or the like.

The communication interface 27 connects the user terminal 200 to the network 500, and performs communication with an external device typified by the server 300. The communication interface 27 includes, for example, a communication module according to a communication standard such as a third generation mobile communication system (3G), a fourth generation mobile communication system (4G), a fifth generation mobile communication system (5G), LTE (Long Term Evolution ), or wireless LAN. The communication module is wirelessly connected to a network such as WiFi or the internet. The communication interface 27 may be a short-range communication interface such as Bluetooth (registered trademark) and BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy ) to directly communicate with an external device.

The imaging unit 28 is composed of a front camera and a rear camera in the user terminal 200. That is, the image pickup unit 28 has a camera function that stores an image or video picked up by the user in the memory 53 or the like.

The bus 29 connects the elements, such as transfer address signals, data signals, and control signals. The user terminal 200 may include various elements in addition to these elements, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art. For example, a position information acquisition unit that acquires position information of the user terminal 200, an activity amount acquisition unit that acquires an activity amount (for example, the number of steps, the moving distance, or the like) of the user may be included.

<1-3. Server apparatus >

Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of a hardware configuration of a server 300 as an example of a server apparatus. The server 300 includes a processor 31, a memory 32, a storage 33, an input/output interface 34, and a communication interface 35, and these elements are electrically connected to each other via a bus 39.

The processor 31, memory 32, storage 33, communication interface 35 and bus 39 are substantially the same as the processor 21, memory 22, storage 23, communication interface 27 and bus 29 in the user terminal 200 shown in fig. 3. In the server 300, the input/output interface 34 receives input from an information input device such as a mouse and a keyboard, and outputs the input to an output device such as a display.

The hardware configuration of the external server 400, which is an example of the external server device, is also substantially the same as that of the server 300.

<1-4. Data communication between attraction device and external Server device >

As described above, the network 700 between the aerosol-generating device 100 and the external server 400 is also sometimes collectively referred to as the LPWA wireless communication standard or a wireless communication standard having the same restrictions (hereinafter, simply referred to as "LPWA wireless communication standard"). ) Is a communication network of (a). Further, sigfox, loRA-WAN, etc. may be employed in the LPWA wireless communication standard. That is, the aerosol-generating device 100 includes a communication module compliant with the LPWA wireless communication standard, and the external server 400 and the aerosol-generating device 100 communicate data with each other in a communication protocol compliant with the LPWA wireless communication standard.

The data communication between the aerosol-generating device 100 and the external server 400 will be described below. In the following description, sigfox is used as an example of the LPWA wireless communication standard. The network 700 employing Sigfox is a dedicated network obtained by using wireless of 920MHz band. To access the network 700, the aerosol generating device 100 mounts a Sigfox communication module. In addition, the external server 400 constitutes a Sigfox server/cloud (operated by Sigfox corporation). Furthermore, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the LPWA wireless communication standard is not limited to Sigfox and may be implemented for any communication standard having the same limitations.

The data communication between the aerosol-generating device 100 and the external server 400 is one-to-one communication between the aerosol-generating device 100 and the external server 400, and is based on a communication protocol defined by Sigfox. The device ID for uniquely identifying the device is associated with a communication module mounted on the aerosol-generating device 100.

First, the aerosol generating device 100 makes a communication request to the external server 400 using the device ID. In order for the external server 400 to allow data communication (in the opposite direction) from the external server 400 to the aerosol-generating device 100, a communication request is periodically transmitted from the aerosol-generating device 100 to the external server 400. That is, the external server 400 can perform data communication with the aerosol-generating device 100, triggered by the reception of a communication request from the aerosol-generating device 100. That is, the external server 400 does not spontaneously start data communication with the aerosol-generating device 100.

When receiving a communication request from the aerosol-generating device 100, the external server 400 records the device ID of the aerosol-generating device 100, and allows data communication to the aerosol-generating device 100 for a predetermined permission period. The external server 400 makes the data provided from the server 300 to the aerosol-generating device 100 pass through only once during the permission period.

Thus, some restrictions are specified in the data communication between the aerosol-generating device 100 and the external server 400. Limitations herein include, for example, the following.

(a) Allowing transmission of a communication request by the aerosol-generating device 100 only a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period

(b) The data communication of the external server 400 to the aerosol-generating device 100 is permitted only for a predetermined permission period at predetermined time intervals

(c) Data communication to the aerosol-generating device 100 by the external server 400 is allowed only a predetermined number of times within a predetermined period

Specifically, the above (a) is defined as a time-based and frequency limitation in which data communication from the aerosol-generating device 100 to the external server 400 is performed 140 times a day. That is, in the case where the aerosol-generating device 100 periodically makes 140 communication requests a day, the communication requests are made at such time intervals that the communication requests are made 1 time in about 10 minutes. Further, the transmission of the communication request may not be periodic.

In addition, as described above in relation to (b), as described above, the data communication from the external server 400 to the aerosol-generating device 100 is restricted for the permission period defined after receiving the communication request from the aerosol-generating device 100. For example, data communication from the external server 400 to the aerosol-generating device 100 is restricted within 10 seconds after receiving the communication request. That is, when the communication request is received from the aerosol-generating device 100 at intervals of about 10 minutes and 1 time as described in (a), the data communication to the aerosol-generating device 100 is allowed for only 10 seconds every 10 minutes. When the permission period elapses without data communication, the data communication from the external server 400 to the aerosol-generating device 100 is prohibited until the next permission period arrives as a rule.

In the case of (c), the data communication from the external server 400 to the aerosol-generating device 100 is limited to, for example, a time-based and frequency limitation of up to 4 times per day. That is, the external server 400 can only allow data communication to the aerosol-generating device 100 4 times a day. When data communication occurs 5 times or more on 1 day, the fifth and subsequent data communication is discarded or carried to the next day.

Furthermore, in addition to the above limitations, those skilled in the art will understand that there is also a limitation to the amount of data involved in one data transmission and reception.

<1-5. Data communication between external Server device and Server device >

In data communication between the external server 400 and the server 300, HTTP (Hyper Text Transfer Protocol ) communication is performed via a network 600 (e.g., the internet). As described above, in the LPWA wireless communication standard, a limitation is set in data communication between the aerosol-generating device 100 and the external server 400, so the server 300 needs to be designed as an application server in order to be able to cope with the limitation.

Specifically, if the external server 400 receives a communication request from the aerosol-generating device 100, the communication request is transferred to the server 300. On the other hand, the server 300 responds to the communication request from the external server 400 to match the allowable period in the external server 400. More specifically, the server 300 waits for the transfer of the setting request received from the user terminal 200 to the external server 400, and transmits the setting request to the external server 400 in response to the communication request from the external server 400 in accordance with the permission period.

Information processing System-

The processing in the information processing system according to the present embodiment will be described in detail below. As described above, in the information processing system according to the present embodiment, the aerosol-generating device 100 includes the communication module compliant with the LPWA wireless communication standard, and the external server 400 and the aerosol-generating device 100 communicate with each other in a communication protocol compliant with the LPWA wireless communication standard. The communication between the external server 400 and the aerosol-generating device 100 is regulated by a prescribed limit, and the communication from the user terminal 200 to the terminal-to-terminal (end-to-end) of the aerosol-generating device 100 becomes asynchronous.

As a result, when the user remotely sets the operation of the aerosol-generating device 100 using the user terminal 200, a certain amount of time may be required until the setting request reaches the aerosol-generating device 100. In addition, a time delay may be generated from the time when the user sets the operation of the aerosol-generating device 100 to the user terminal 200 until the setting is actually reflected in the aerosol-generating device 100.

The user sets the operation of the aerosol-generating device 100 by the application 205 of the user terminal 200. On the other hand, if the possibility of occurrence of time lag in the operation setting is considered, it is sufficient to provide usability for making the aerosol-generating device 100 not perform operation setting which is not desired by the user, thereby preventing erroneous input operation by the user.

The information processing system according to the present embodiment presents to the user whether or not the latest situation of the operation setting of the aerosol-generating device 100 is actually reflected, and provides to the user a user interface that does not accept an input of a further operation setting when the operation setting is not reflected. This prevents the user from performing an erroneous operation and prevents the aerosol-generating device 100 from performing an operation setting that is not desired by the user.

<2-1. Functional structural example >

Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a functional configuration of an information processing system according to the present embodiment by means of a module. Specifically, the information processing system 1 for remotely setting the operation of the aerosol-generating device 100 using the user terminal 200 includes the aerosol-generating device 100 shown in fig. 2A and 2B, the user terminal 200 shown in fig. 3, and the server 300 shown in fig. 4.

Fig. 5 shows the main functional configuration of each element mounted on the aerosol-generating device 100, the user terminal 200, and the server 300 by means of a module. Here, for simplicity, the external server 400 shown in fig. 1 is omitted. The functional configuration is not limited to this, and those skilled in the art can understand that any addition, deletion, modification, and the like can be performed.

As shown in fig. 2A and 2B, the aerosol-generating device 100 includes a notification unit 113, a communication unit 115, and a control unit 116.

The notification portion 113 includes a display device that displays an image and/or text. For example, information input by the user using the user terminal 200 may be received and displayed on the display unit 113.

The communication unit 115 periodically transmits a communication request to the external server 400 based on the limitation of the LPWA wireless communication standard. The communication unit 115 receives a setting request concerning the operation setting of the aerosol-generating device 100 from the server 300 via the external server 400. The setting request is configured as a response to the communication request. The communication unit 115 transmits a completion confirmation indicating that the aerosol-generating device 100 has completed the operation setting to the external server 400.

The control unit 116 receives the setting request from the communication unit 115, and performs operation setting in the aerosol-generating device 100. That is, in response to a setting request from the user terminal 200, operation setting is actually performed in the aerosol generating device 100.

The user terminal 200 includes a communication unit 210, a reception unit 220, a state display unit 230, a state transition unit 240, and a reception control unit 250.

The communication unit 210 is configured by the communication interface 27 of fig. 3, and includes a transmitting unit 212 and a receiving unit 214. The transmitting unit 212 of the communication unit 210 transmits a setting request directed to the aerosol-generating device 100 to the server 300. The receiving unit 214 receives a completion confirmation indicating that the operation setting of the aerosol-generating device 100 is completed from the aerosol-generating device 100 via the server 300. The receiving unit 214 also receives data restriction information including a standby time until the restriction is released from the server 300 regarding the restriction of data communication of the aerosol generating device 100 in the LPWA wireless communication standard.

The receiving unit 220 is configured by the touch panel 24 (in particular, the touch input unit 25), the image pickup unit 28, an audio input unit (not shown), and the like in fig. 3. The receiving unit 220 receives a request for setting the aerosol-generating device 100 by an input operation of a user.

The state display unit 230 is constituted by the touch panel 24 (particularly, the display unit 25) of fig. 3. The state display unit 230 displays the operating state of the aerosol-generating device 100 at a remote location on the application 205 of the user terminal 200.

The state transition unit 240 is constituted by the processor 21 of fig. 3. The state transition unit 240 transitions the display state of the aerosol-generating device 100 to "reflection waiting" and displays the state on the state display unit 230 in response to the transmission unit 212 transmitting a request. In addition, the display state is changed from "wait for reflection" to "finish reflection" according to the completion confirmation from the aerosol generating device 100, and is displayed on the state display unit 230.

The reception control unit 250 is configured by the processor 21 of fig. 3. The reception control unit 250 cannot receive a further setting request concerning the operation setting of the aerosol-generating device 100 while the display state of the state display unit 230 is "reflection waiting". Further, a further request can be accepted according to the display state of the state display unit 230 from "reflection waiting" to "reflection completed".

The server 300 includes a communication unit 310 and a communication management unit 320.

The communication unit 310 is constituted by the communication interface 35 of fig. 4. The communication unit 310 transmits a setting request received from the user terminal 200 to the aerosol-generating device 100 via the external server 400. The communication unit 310 also transmits a completion confirmation received from the aerosol-generating device 100 via the external server 400 to the user terminal 200. Further, the communication unit 310 transmits the restriction information to the user device 200.

The communication management unit 320 is constituted by the processor 31 of fig. 4. The communication management unit 320 manages transmission of the setting request by the communication unit 310 based on the predetermined restrictions of the LPWA wireless communication standard. Specifically, when the communication unit 310 receives the setting request, it is determined whether or not the communication between the external server 400 and the aerosol-generating device 100 is restricted, and when the communication is restricted, the communication unit waits for transmission (transfer) to the aerosol-generating device 100. The communication management unit 320 determines restriction information related to the setting request based on the restriction. The limit information includes a standby time until the limit of communication is released. That is, the communication management unit 320 calculates the standby time based on the information of the restrictions related to the LPWA wireless communication standard.

<2-2. Example of treatment Process >

With reference to fig. 6 and 7, a process flow of an example of the information processing system according to the present embodiment will be described. Specifically, an example of a process procedure in which a user can remotely set the operation of the aerosol-generating device 100 using the user terminal 200 is shown. Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the information processing system according to the present embodiment. Fig. 7 is a detailed flow chart of a portion of the processing steps of fig. 6.

The processing steps shown in the flow diagrams in the present specification are merely examples, and are not limited thereto, and any other processing steps may be included, or some of the processing steps may be omitted. The order of the processing steps is also merely an example, and is not limited thereto, and those skilled in the art can understand any order or may execute in parallel.

In a series of processing steps, first, the reception unit 220 of the user terminal 200 receives a setting request concerning operation setting of the aerosol-generating device 100 (step S21).

Upon receiving the setting request in step S21, the transmitting unit 212 of the user terminal 200 transmits the setting request directed to the aerosol-generating device 100 to the server 300 (step S22).

Next, upon transmission of the setting request in step S22, the state transition unit 240 of the user terminal 200 transitions the display state of the aerosol-generating device 100 to "reflection wait" (step S23).

Then, while the display state is "waiting for reflection", the reception control unit 250 cannot receive a further setting request concerning the operation setting of the aerosol-generating device 100 (step S24).

On the other hand, in the server 300 that receives the setting request, the communication management unit 320 determines the restrictions on the applied communication based on the predetermined restrictions of the LPWA wireless communication standard, and waits for the transfer of the setting request (step S31).

Next, the communication management unit 320 of the server 300 determines restriction information according to the restrictions of the applied communication, and transmits the restriction information to the user terminal 200 (step S32).

Steps S31 and S32 are described in more detail with reference to fig. 7. As shown in fig. 7, the communication unit 310 of the server 300 receives the setting request transmitted from the user terminal 200 in step S22 (step S311).

Next, the communication management unit 320 determines the application of the restriction of the communication with respect to the received setting request. Specifically, it is initially determined whether or not the current number of transmissions to the aerosol-generating device 100 is smaller than the allowable number (step S313). When the current transmission count is smaller than the allowable count (yes), the communication management unit 320 further determines whether or not the current time is outside the allowable period (step S315). The allowable number of times and the allowable period used herein are associated with restrictions of data communication of the aerosol-generating device 100 in the LPWA wireless communication standard.

As described above, in one example, data communication to the aerosol-generating device 100 can only be allowed 4 times a day for 1. That is, in step S313, it is determined whether or not transmission on the day of the received setting request is permitted by determining whether or not the current transmission number is less than 4.

In one example, the data communication to the aerosol-generating device 100 is limited to 10 seconds for the communication request received from the aerosol-generating device 100 every 10 minutes. That is, in step S315, it is determined whether or not the communication request can be responded to in the current time by determining whether or not the current time is outside the allowable period of 10 seconds every 10 minutes.

If yes in both steps S313 and S315, the communication management unit 320 waits for the transmission of the setting request until the subsequent permission period arrives (step S317).

On the other hand, if no in step S313, the number of times of permission of the day on which the setting request is received is exceeded, and therefore, the communication management unit 320 waits for the transmission of the setting request until the second day (step S319).

If the current time is within the permission period (no) in step S315, the communication management unit 320 may directly permit transmission of the setting request of the communication unit 310 (step S33 described later).

Next, the communication management unit 320 calculates a standby time until the restriction on the standby of the transmission of the setting request is released, based on the current time, the number of times of permission, and the permission period.

Specifically, the communication management unit 320 calculates the standby time until the next allowable period arrives in step S317 (step S321). The standby time here is less than 10 minutes.

On the other hand, the communication management unit 320 calculates the standby time until the first allowable period of the next day arrives in step S319 (step S323). The standby time is referred to herein as less than 24 hours.

The standby time calculated in steps S321 and S323 is transmitted to the user terminal 200 through the communication unit 310 as a part of the control information in order to present the user with the standby time (S325). The user terminal 200 may display the standby time in a real-time countdown manner. In addition to the standby time, the remaining number of times that the setting request can be made may be transmitted to the user terminal as part of the control information.

In the description of fig. 7, a plurality of setting requests may be set for standby transmission. Specifically, when receiving the setting request from the user terminal 200 in step S311, the communication management unit 320 may register the setting request into a queue (queue) and manage the setting request as a waiting matrix for each user. In this case, the setting request in standby is sequentially transmitted after the processing order has arrived. Alternatively, when there are a plurality of setting requests to be sent and waiting for the setting request, the communication management unit 320 may discard the setting request received after the first received setting request as the sending target.

Returning to fig. 6, when the restriction information is transmitted to the user terminal 200 through the server 300 in step S32, the status display section 230 of the user terminal 200 displays the restriction information (particularly, standby information) on the application 205. Thus, after the setting request is transmitted to the server 300 in step S22, the user can grasp the standby time until the restriction is released. That is, the user can grasp the approximate time until the setting is reflected in the aerosol-generating device 100.

Further, the communication unit 115 of the aerosol-generating device 100 continues to periodically transmit a communication request through the processing of steps S21 to S25 in the user terminal 200 and the processing of steps S31 and S32 in the server 300 (step S11). In one example, as described above, the communication unit 115 transmits the communication request at intervals of 140 times per day, that is, about 10 minutes. The communication request is received by the server 300 via the external server 400.

The communication management unit 320 of the server 300 confirms the communication request from the aerosol-generating device 100. Then, if there is a setting request to be returned to the aerosol-generating device 100 as a response to the communication request, the communication unit 310 transmits the setting request to the aerosol-generating device 100 in response to the restriction release (step S33).

When the communication unit 310 transmits the setting request, the communication management unit 320 counts the number of times the setting request is transmitted (+1) (step S34). The number of times counted here is used in step S313 for unlimited determination.

The setting request transmitted in step S33 is received by the aerosol-generating device 100 via the external server 400. In order to respond to the setting request, the control unit 116 of the aerosol generating device 100 actually reflects the operation setting related to the setting request (step S12).

When the operation setting is reflected in step S12, the communication unit 115 of the aerosol-generating device 100 returns a completion confirmation indicating that the aerosol-generating device 100 has completed the operation setting to the server 300 (step S13).

Then, the communication unit 310 of the server 300 that receives the completion confirmation transfers the completion confirmation to the user terminal 200 (step S35).

Upon receiving the completion confirmation, the receiving unit 214 of the user terminal 200 causes the state transition unit 240 to transition the display state from "reflection wait" to "reflection complete" (step S26). Thus, the user can confirm on the application 205 that the registered action settings have been reflected in the aerosol-generating device 100.

Finally, the reception control unit 250 of the user terminal 200 may receive the subsequent setting request which cannot be received in step S24 (step S27). In this way, by the control of the reception of the setting request by the reception control unit 250, it is possible to prevent the user from erroneously operating the user terminal 200 and performing erroneous operation setting for the aerosol generating device 100.

The reception control unit 250 may control whether or not to accept the subsequent setting request by using the standby information received in step S25. For example, if the allowable number of times has been exceeded, the reception control unit 220 may not immediately receive the subsequent setting request in step S27, and may maintain a state in which the subsequent setting request cannot be received until the next day.

<2-3. Picture image example >

Fig. 8A and 8B are screen image examples of the application 205 displayed in the user terminal 200. On the screen of the application 205 on the user terminal 200, an input operation by the user is received by being displayed on the touch panel 24.

As shown in the example of fig. 8A, the display of the screen includes a display i1 of device information, a display i2 of flavor adjustment, a display i3 of device lock setting, and a display i4 of message notification setting.

The display i1 of the device information includes various information of the aerosol-generating device 100 registered by the server 300. Here, as the type of the apparatus, "low-temperature heating type tobacco apparatus" is displayed, and as the use start day, "2021 year, 4 month, 1 day" on which the user registered the apparatus at the time of initial use is displayed. This information is retrieved when the user registers the aerosol-generating device 100 with the application 205 and stored in the database of the server 300.

Further, the network 700 conforming to the LPWA wireless communication standard includes a wireless base station (not shown), and thus can specify the position of the aerosol-generating device 100 including the communication module for the LPWA wireless communication standard. The determined location information is transmitted to the server 300 through the external server 400. The display i1 of the device information may include the position of the aerosol generating device 100, and is shown as "near the hand of tokyo du qian da" in the example of fig. 8A. In addition, the location information may also be displayed in a map form in coordination with the map application.

Further, the display i1 of the device information may include the remaining battery level of the aerosol generating device 100. The information on the battery remaining amount of the aerosol-generating device 100 may be acquired from the aerosol-generating device 100 via the external server 400 in response to the acquisition request transmitted to the aerosol-generating device 100 by the user terminal 200 when the application 205 is started. Alternatively, the control unit 116 of the aerosol-generating device 100 may monitor the remaining battery level sequentially, and transmit the detected remaining battery level to the user terminal 200 via the external server 400, triggered by detection of the remaining battery level falling below a predetermined threshold. In the example of fig. 8A, the "battery degradation" is displayed together with an indicator of the battery remaining amount. Please contact the counsel window "and messages.

In the flavor adjustment display i2, the user can set the configuration (profile) of the heating operation in the aerosol-generating device 100. Here, the user can set the aerosol-generating device 100 by selecting a preferred configuration from "weak", "normal", "strong" and "automatic" which are predetermined configurations of the heating operation. The selected configuration is validated by setting the configuration information in the storage unit 114 of the aerosol-generating device 100. In the example of fig. 8A, the user sets the configuration of the aerosol-generating device 100 to "strong".

In the display i3 of the device lock setting, the user can set the operation of locking or unlocking the aerosol generating device 100. For example, even if the power button of the aerosol-generating device 100 is pressed while the aerosol-generating device 100 is in the locked state, the aerosol-generating device 100 is not powered on and does not operate. That is, the aerosol generating device 100 does not actually operate as long as the user does not unlock the user terminal 200. In the example of fig. 8A, the aerosol-generating device 100 is displayed together with an icon that is currently in a "locked" state. Then, the user desires to cause the aerosol-generating device 100 to perform "lock release". Further, since the aerosol-generating device 100 is in the "in-lock" state, the display of the "lock" button is not activated, and cannot be selected.

In the display i4 of the message notification setting, the user can send a message to the notification unit 113 of the aerosol-generating device 100 and notify the message. The message may be text information of japanese or english (letter), or may be image information such as image text or stamp. The notification method to the aerosol-generating device 100 may be freely set. In the example of fig. 8A, the user inputs the text of "test" in japanese, and notifies the notification unit 113 of the aerosol-generating device 100.

In this way, the operation setting of the aerosol-generating device 100 that the user can request can be associated with at least one function of the setting (i 2) of the configuration of the heating operation in the aerosol-generating device 100, the lock/unlock operation (i 3) of the aerosol-generating device 100, and the notification (i 4) of the information input by the user.

As shown in the example of fig. 8A, the display i2 for flavor adjustment, the display i3 for device lock setting, and the display i4 for message notification setting may include reflective buttons bt1 to bt3 for requesting operation settings, respectively. That is, the user can independently request operation settings of the aerosol-generating device 100 for each function.

In this case, the display states st1 to st3 of the setting request may be displayed independently for each function. In the example of fig. 8A, the display states stl to st3 are all "reflection waiting". For example, in the flavor adjustment display i2, the user selects the "strong" arrangement and presses (i.e., touches) the "adjustment reflection" button bt1, and as a result, the corresponding display state st1 becomes "reflection waiting". In addition, in the display i3 of the device lock setting, the user selects the "lock release" button and presses the "lock setting reflection" button bt2, and as a result, the corresponding display state st1 becomes "reflection waiting". Similarly, in the display i4 of the message notification setting, the user inputs a message and presses the "notification reflection" button bt3, and as a result, the corresponding display state st1 becomes "reflection waiting".

That is, as a result of the buttons btl to bt3 being pressed by the user, the respective display states stl to st3 are independently "reflection waiting" (step S23). In this case, the operation setting requested by the user is actually reflected on the aerosol generating device 100, and after receiving the completion confirmation, the display states stl to st3 are sequentially shifted to "reflection completed" (step S26), and the subsequent setting request can be accepted (step S27).

Alternatively, for example, when the "adjustment reflecting" button bt1 is pressed and the display state st1 is set to "reflecting waiting" in the display i2 of the flavor adjustment, the display states st2, st3 of the other operation settings i3, i4 may be set to "reflecting waiting" in conjunction with this (step S23). This is because, as described above, the data communication to the aerosol-generating device 100 is limited to, for example, 4 times at maximum every 1 day, and thus the user-based setting request is not repeatedly accepted at the same timing. Further, since the user cannot make a request for further operation setting (step S24) while the display state is "waiting for reflection", it is possible to prevent the user from making several setting requests in a short period. In this case, regarding the display i2 of the flavor adjustment, the operation setting of the "strong" configuration requested by the user is reflected on the aerosol generating device 100 and the completion confirmation is received, and then all the display states stl to st3 are simultaneously shifted to "reflection completed" (step S26). Then, if the subsequent setting request can be accepted (step S27) or the above-described limit of the number of times (maximum 4 times per day) concerning the data communication is exceeded, the state in which the subsequent setting request cannot be accepted may be maintained until the next day and the limit is released.

On the other hand, in the example of fig. 8B, the respective groups reflecting the buttons bt1 to bt3 and the display states st1 to st3 are integrated into the switches sw1 to sw3 of the form of the drawing. Fig. 8B illustrates an example of a scene after the user presses the "ON" side of sw1 in order to request to configure the "strong" operation setting ON the flavor adjustment display i 2. The switch sw1 indicates "on", and the display is deactivated, and the user is presented with a display state of "waiting for reflection" (step S23), and at the same time, no further configuration can be set (step S24). In the example of fig. 8B, the "7 seconds before reflection" and the standby time t1 are displayed in the lateral direction of the switch sw1 as the restriction information (step S25).

Then, when the action setting of the "strong" configuration is reflected in the aerosol-generating device 100 and the completion confirmation is received, the switch sw1 represents "OFF (OFF)" and the display is validated again. This causes the display state to be shifted to "reflection completed" to the user (step S26), and the subsequent setting request can be accepted (step S27).

In the example of fig. 8B, the switch Sw2 of the display i3 of the device lock setting and the switch Sw3 of the display i4 of the message notification setting are activated independently of the switch Sw1 of the display i2 of the fragrance adjustment. That is, the switches sw2 and sw3 can receive the setting request independently of the switch sw 1.

<3. Change >

In the description of the above embodiment, regarding the restricted data communication, the communication management unit 320 of the server 300 calculates the standby time until the restriction is released based on the information of the restriction (steps S321 and S323). Alternatively, in the modification, the communication management unit 320 may determine the standby time based on at least a history of the past standby time recorded in the user of the server 300.

For example, the maximum standby time or the average standby time may be determined as the standby time by using information of the past standby time of the user terminal 200. The standby time may be determined by a predetermined equation based on the maximum standby time or the average standby time.

Alternatively, an estimation engine that learns the number of times of setting requests and the correlation between the timing and the waiting time may be prepared in advance using histories of the past waiting times of all users recorded in the server 300, and the waiting time until the restriction is released may be estimated using the estimation invalidity. In this case, the estimation engine may be constructed by performing a teacher-based machine training, in which the teacher-based machine training uses history data of the number of times and timing of the setting request within 1 day as a feature value, and sets history data of the standby time corresponding to the feature value as tag data.

<4 other embodiments >

In the above description, the information processing terminal, the information processing method, and the information processing system of the several embodiments are described with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is understood that when executed by a processor, the processor may be implemented as a program for causing an information processing terminal to act and/or perform an information processing method, or a computer-readable recording medium storing the program.

While the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above with reference to the modification examples and application modes thereof, it should be understood that these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. It is to be understood that the present invention can be appropriately modified, added, improved, or the like without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. The scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described embodiments, but should be defined only by the following claims and their equivalents.

The following structure also falls within the technical scope of the present invention.

(1) An information processing method, comprising:

a step of receiving a first setting request related to operation setting of the suction device;

a step of transmitting the first setting request directed to the attraction device to a server device;

A step of transferring a display state related to the suction device to a reflection waiting state according to the transmission of the first setting request;

a step of receiving, from the suction apparatus via the server apparatus, a completion confirmation indicating that the suction apparatus has completed the operation setting; and

and a step of transferring the display state from the reflection waiting to the reflection finishing according to the completion confirmation.

(2) The information processing method according to the above (1), wherein the information processing method comprises:

and a step of failing to accept a second setting request related to the operation setting of the suction device while the display state is the reflection waiting.

(3) The information processing method according to the above (2), wherein the information processing method comprises:

and a step of waiting to transition from the reflection to the reflection completion according to the display state, and accepting the second setting request.

(4) The information processing method according to any one of the above (1) to (3), wherein,

in a wireless network to which the attraction is connected, a predetermined restriction is associated in communication with the attraction,

the method further comprises the steps of: a step of receiving, from the server apparatus, limitation information decided by the server apparatus after the first setting request is transmitted to the server apparatus,

The limit information includes a standby time until the predetermined limit is released.

(5) The information processing method according to any one of the above (1) to (4), wherein,

the action setting of the attraction means is associated with a function of at least one of:

a heating operation arrangement in the suction device;

the action of the suction device is locked; and

notification of information entered by the user.

(6) The information processing method according to any one of the above (1) to (5), wherein,

the action setting is associated with a plurality of functions possessed by the attraction device,

the display state is associated with each of the plurality of functions.

(7) The information processing method according to the above (6), wherein,

the plurality of functions includes a first function and a second function,

the first setting request is associated with the first function,

each display state related to the attraction means with respect to the first function and the second function is transferred to the reflection waiting in accordance with the transmission of the first setting request.

(8) An information processing terminal, comprising:

a receiving unit that receives a first setting request relating to operation setting of the suction device;

A transmitting unit configured to transmit the first setting request directed to the suction device to a server device;

a receiving unit that receives, from the suction device via the server device, a completion confirmation indicating that the suction device has completed the operation setting; and

and a state transition unit configured to transition a display state of the suction device to a reflection wait in response to the transmission of the first setting request, and to transition the display state from the reflection wait to a reflection completion in response to the completion confirmation from the suction device.

(9) The information processing terminal according to the above (8), wherein:

the reception control unit cannot receive a second setting request concerning the operation setting of the suction device while the display state is the reflection waiting.

(10) The information processing terminal according to the above (9), wherein,

the reception control unit is further configured to: and waiting to transition from the reflection to the reflection completion according to the display state, and accepting the second setting request.

(11) The information processing terminal according to any one of the above (8) to (10), wherein,

The composition is also as follows: after the transmitting section transmits the first setting request to the server apparatus, the receiving section receives the restriction information determined by the server apparatus from the server apparatus,

(12) An information processing system includes an information processing terminal, a server device, and a suction device,

the information processing terminal is provided with:

a receiving unit that receives a setting request for setting an operation of the suction device; and

a first communication unit that transmits the setting request directed to the suction device to a server device, receives a completion confirmation from the suction device indicating that the suction device has completed the operation setting,

the server device is provided with:

a second communication unit that transmits the setting request received from the information processing terminal to the suction device via the external server device, and transmits the completion confirmation received from the suction device via the external server device to the information processing terminal; and

a communication management unit configured to manage transmission of the setting request by the second communication unit in accordance with a predetermined restriction defined in relation to communication between the external server device and the suction device,

The suction device is provided with:

a third communication unit that transmits the completion confirmation for the setting request received from the server device via the external server device to the external server device; and

and a control unit configured to execute the operation setting in the suction device in response to the setting request.

(13) The information processing system according to the above (12), wherein,

the information processing terminal further includes a state transition unit that transitions a display state of the suction device to a reflection wait in response to the transmission of the setting request, transitions the display state from the reflection wait to a reflection completed in response to the completion confirmation,

the display state is displayed on the information processing terminal.

(14) The information processing system according to the above (12) or (13), wherein,

the communication management unit of the server device is configured to:

determining whether the communication is restricted or not based on the second communication section receiving the setting request,

when the communication is restricted, the transmission of the setting request to the attraction is awaited.

(15) The information processing system according to any one of the above (12) to (14), wherein,

The communication management unit of the server device is configured to determine restriction information based on the predetermined restriction,

the second communication section of the server apparatus is configured to transmit the restriction information to the information processing terminal,

the restriction information includes a standby time until restriction of the communication is released.

(16) The information processing system according to the above (15), wherein,

the standby time is determined based on at least a history of past standby times of the user recorded in the server apparatus.

(17) The information processing system according to any one of the above (12) to (16), wherein,

the prescribed restrictions in the communication include: only a predetermined number of transmissions of the setting request to the suction device are allowed within a predetermined period.

(18) The information processing system according to any one of the above (12) to (17), wherein,

the prescribed restrictions in the communication include: the transmission of the setting request to the suction device is permitted only for a predetermined permission period at predetermined time intervals.

(19) The information processing system according to the above (17) or (18), wherein,

the third communication unit of the suction device is further configured to:

Periodically sending a communication request to the external server device,

and receiving the setting request as a response to the communication request.

(20) The information processing system according to any one of the above (12) to (19), wherein,

the wireless network to which the attraction is connected conforms to the LPWA (Low Power Wide Area, low power wide area network) wireless communication standard.

(21) A computer-readable recording medium having a computer program recorded thereon, which when executed by a processor of a server apparatus, causes the server apparatus to perform:

the communication request is periodically received from the attraction via the external server device,

receiving a setting request related to an operation setting of the suction device from an information processing terminal,

based on a prescribed limitation of data communication in a wireless network to which the suction device is connected, the transfer of the setting request is made standby,

after the predetermined restriction is released, the setting request is transferred to the suction device via the external server device as a response to the communication request,

a completion confirmation received from the suction device via the external server device indicating that the suction device has completed the operation setting is transferred to the information processing terminal.

(22) The computer-readable recording medium according to the above (21), wherein,

causing the server apparatus to further perform:

determining constraint information related to the setting request based on the predetermined constraint,

transmitting the decided restriction information to the information processing terminal,

the restriction information includes a standby time until the prescribed restriction is released.

(23) The computer-readable recording medium according to the above (21) or (22), wherein,

the prescribed limits include: only a predetermined number of transmissions of the setting request to the suction device are allowed within a predetermined period.

(24) The computer-readable recording medium according to any one of the above (21) to (23), wherein,

the prescribed limits include: the transmission of the setting request to the suction device is permitted only for a predetermined permission period at predetermined time intervals.

(25) A program for causing a computer to execute the information processing method described in any one of (1) to (7) above.

Description of the reference numerals

100. 100A, 100B … aerosol generating device, 113 … notification unit, 115 … communication unit, 116 … control unit, 200 … user terminal, 205 … application, 210 … communication unit, 212 … transmission unit, 214 … reception unit, 220 … reception unit, 230 … status display unit, 240 … status transition unit, 250 … reception control unit, 300 … server, 310 … communication unit, 320 … communication management unit, 400 … external server, 500, 600, 700 … network.

Claims

1. An information processing method, comprising:

2. The information processing method according to claim 1, wherein the information processing method comprises:

3. The information processing method according to claim 2, wherein the information processing method comprises:

4. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein,

5. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein,

a heating operation arrangement in the suction device;

the action of the suction device is locked; and

notification of information entered by the user.

6. The information processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein,

the display state is associated with each of the plurality of functions.

7. The information processing method according to claim 6, wherein,

the plurality of functions includes a first function and a second function,

the first setting request is associated with the first function,

Each display state related to the attraction means with respect to the first function and the second is transferred to the reflection waiting in accordance with the transmission of the first setting request.

8. An information processing terminal, comprising:

9. The information processing terminal according to claim 8, wherein the information processing terminal comprises:

10. The information processing terminal according to claim 9, wherein,

11. The information processing terminal according to any one of claims 8 to 10, wherein,

12. An information processing system includes an information processing terminal, a server device, and a suction device,

the information processing terminal is provided with:

the server device is provided with:

the suction device is provided with:

13. The information handling system of claim 12, wherein,

The display state is displayed on the information processing terminal.

14. The information processing system according to claim 12 or 13, wherein,

the communication management unit of the server device is configured to:

15. The information processing system according to any one of claims 12 to 14, wherein,

16. The information handling system of claim 15, wherein,

17. The information handling system of any of claims 12 to 16, wherein,

18. The information processing system according to any one of claims 12 to 17, wherein,

19. The information handling system of claim 17 or 18, wherein,

the third communication unit of the suction device is further configured to:

periodically sending a communication request to the external server device,

and receiving the setting request as a response to the communication request.

20. The information handling system of any of claims 12 to 19, wherein,